Any Android smartphone comes with a large number of pre-installed applications. Many of them are quite large and cannot be removed using standard methods. Fortunately, there are workarounds, which we will discuss in this article.
Preparatory stage
Before the removal operation, you need to do some preparatory work. You need to install the Android Debug Bridge program on your computer. To do this:
- Download the ZIP archive from the official website ;
- Unzip the files into the created platform‑tools folder;
ou need to enable USB debugging on your smartphone. This is the mode in which you can configure the device via a PC.
- In “Settings” open the “About phone” section;
- Tap the “Android Version” button several times until the message “You are now a developer” appears;
- In “Settings”, go to the “Advanced settings” tab and click on “For developers”;
- Toggle the slider and enable the USB Debugging feature.
You will also need to install App Inspector . The utility allows you to find out the exact name of the application, because the names in the system and on the desktop are different.
Removing system applications via computer
Once the preparation is complete, you can proceed to the actual removal:
- Connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable, and in the “USB Mode” window, click “File Transfer”;
- Launch Android Debug Bridge, then hold Shift and right-click on any empty space in the folder;
- In the menu that appears, click on the item “Open PowerShell window here”;
- In the running PowerShell window, type the command /adb devices. If the launch is successful, the text “daemon started successfully” will appear;
- Allow debugging on your smartphone;
- In the terminal, enter /adb devices again, after which the serial number of the phone and the inscription device should appear;
- Enter the command /adb shell;
- On your smartphone, open App Inspector and find the applications you want to remove;
- Open the Package Name tab and copy the name of the program you want to remove;
- In the terminal, type the command pm uninstall -k –user 0, and also enter the name of the application from App Inspector;
- Start the removal by pressing Enter.
If after all the actions the system applications have not disappeared from the gadget, then reboot the device.
Disabling system applications
If you don’t have a computer nearby and the software that can’t be removed is annoying, you can disable it. The applications will continue to occupy the device’s memory, but will stop consuming battery, Internet traffic, loading the system, and will disappear from the desktop altogether. However, this method is only suitable for Xiaomi and Samsung products.
Before disabling, you need to download and install Redmi System manager or CCSWE App Manager . The programs allow you to manage the OS in advanced mode. Since their operating principle is similar, let’s consider everything using the example of the first utility.
- Launch Redmi System Manager and open the Remove Apps section;
- Select the program you want to disable;
- To do this, tap on “Stop”, then on “Disable”.